Fire as prophecy? The relation between fire and prophecy as theophany in the Septuagint and with reference to the Revelation of John

Abstract

This investigation presents a brief survey of the interjection between the occurrences of fire imagery and its connections with prophecy as Theophany in the Greek Old Testament and with reference to the Revelation of John. Fire imagery frequently serves as a Leitmotif for God’s revelatory presence. It is established that God’s presence through fire imagery is closely connected with his message as part of divine revelation. Furthermore, this motif developed in one of two directions: sometimes with negative implications to humanity during God’s wrath and judgement, i.e. during the process of the purification of his creation. At other times it developed with positive implications to humanity during God’s mediation of his message of involvement and care, i.e. during the process of his glorification. It can be concluded that the connection between fire imagery and prophecy can be clearly observed in the Old Testament literature and that this connection is carried through into the Revelation of John. The fact of this connection could even be summarized in the statement that the mere presence of fire often functions as the revelatory presence of God and that this in itself serves as prophecy – either as a message of purification or of glorification. In this sense, “fire as revelation” might be understood to be “fire as prophecy”.